I'm going to start putting the author's note at the bottom, this is the start of the games, and since I'm following the format of the book, it'll end when Katniss sees the arena. If I think that that's too short, I'll make it the first day in the arena. On a happier note, thanks to everyone who reviewing! Your reviews are like candy! :-)
I open my eyes and slip away from Mother. I wonder what Katniss is doing to-
Oh yeah. Today she actually starts the games. I sink to the floor and take deep breaths. She's strong, she'll get through this. She gets through everything. I know she will.
I wonder what the arena will be like, maybe it'll be a frozen wasteland. Or a scorching desert. Maybe just one big green area.
I shudder, imagining all of the ways that Katniss could die. Posionous plants. She's too smart for that. Untreated water. She'd know better. Another tribute. My stomach clenches into a knot at that possibility.
It's not that I don't think she's a good fighter, but she's better at fighting distance, not to mention that she might not even get her bow and arrows. I think she'd be better off staying out of the bloodbath and just running to the forest instead.
I wince. She'll probably be in the Stockyards by now, getting her outfit. Hopefully it'll give her a clue about the arena.
Gale will be coming soon too. I sigh.
It's not the I don't like him, but ever since yesterday, I've been wondering if he's safe to be around.
Good thing I had sense to remove all sharp, pointy, breakable objects from the room where the TV is. I won't let him in any other room.
As I turn on the TV to watch the pre-games show where the weigh over the tributes possibility to get out of the bloodbath alive. I turn it on mute.
Mother comes out and gives on look at my dishelved state, "Katniss is the one who doesn't have to care about her appearance Prim. Go put something decent on."
"Mother, do I have to? It's only Hazelle and the-" I break of mid-sentence realizing that Rory will be there. I think I'm blushing as I put on my school outfit. School is always cancelled for the first day in the Games.
"Knock, knock. We're here!" says Hazelle.
I smile and walk over to help her since she's carrying Posy and a plate of food. I take Posy and bounce her up and down on the couch.
When I was her age, Father did it to me. I loved it.
"Pim, I wanna pice of bead." Posy's looking at me so seriously, that I giggle.
"Okay Posy, stay right here, I'll go get you some bread." I give her back to Mrs. Hawthorne as I walk into the kitchen. We only have tessarae bread so I cut a slice of that and walk back out to give it to her.
"What do you say Posy?" Mrs. Hawthorne pokes her belly like Katniss used to do to me.
"Tankyou Pim." Posy smiles at me and I notice that her two front teeth are missing.
"And now, finally Joe. What do you think the odds of the 'girl on fire' are?" Scary reporter number one is smiling creepily at a lady who has bunny ears.
Scary reporter number two says, "Well, she must've done something to get that eleven. After all, Mr. Heavensbee seemed intent on keeping us from knowing how she did. A picture of one of the gamemaker's picture is on the screen now.
"Well, since we've gone over every tribute Joe, do you think it's time for the games now?" Scary reporter number one is jumping up and down he's so excited.
"We sure do Bob! Let's go take a look at them, eh?" Then the screen shows a black background with THE HUNGER GAMES written on it. In red. It looks scarily like blood dripping.
Then it shows a view of the launchroom (stockyard) from a tribute's point of view. It's not actually a tribute's room. It's an extra.
Music is playing in the backgorund and it's kind of annoying. Then it shows from the view of someone rising up on the metal plates. For a moment, it just pans over the arena. It looked normal enough, grass on one side, then a forest on the other. A green open strech between them with a lake.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!" Claudis Templesmith's voice fills our small house.
And there it is. The cornucopia. Filled pile high with weapons, food, water containers, things to stay alive.
Once it's finished showing the arena it shows each of the tributes, one at a time. Starting with District one and ending with District Twelve.
When it gets to Katniss, she looks indesicive and the clock that counting down says fifteen seconds and I see her position her feet to the cornicupia. No! Why Katniss? Why? Just run to the forest.
We're all holding our breath as we watch it show Peeta shake his head at Katniss. Thankyou Peeta. I hope that she listens to him. She looks confused and in those seconds of confusion, the gong rings.
And she's missed it! She'll never get whatever it was that she wanted so bad. It shows the girl from District Two run and grab a pack of throwing knives, then she starts hitting random people. It shows the little girl named Rue scoop forward and grab something, it looks like a pack, then she runs away, to the woods. It shows the giant from District eleven shoving a bunch of people out of his way as he grabs a handful of things from the cornucopia. And his hands are big.
But where's Katniss? Why isn't she being shown? Did she-? I stop myself mid-thought. No, she's too smart for that.
Then, finally-finally!-the camera goes back to her and it shows her lunge foward to grab a loaf of bread and a plastic thing. She looks angry that that's all she's getting. So she jumps to a backpack that the District Nine boy already had his hand on it, and he glares at her and yanks on it, she does the same but then it shows the District two girl aim and throw.
Her knife ends up right in the center of his back. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. Then Katniss is running running running into the forest. I've never seen her run that fast. Suddenly, a knife is whizing to her, and Katniss, who's so smart pulls the pack up to protect the back of her head.
And she's gone. It shows the District one girl with a bow and a sheath of arrows try to shoot someone, and fail. Oh, that's what Katniss wanted so bad. Poor her. At least she has a knife.
It shows the giant from District eleven punch someone who tried to knife him in the back. The giant dislocated that person's jaw at least. Maybe worse.
It shows the crippled boy from ten and the giant nod at each other and disappear into the grass. They must've been allies.
Then it shows a girl with red hair like a fox look around and then follow them. She didn't get much. A backpack like Katniss' only smaller.
Once there're only six people left, five careers, and Peeta. Peeta! Of all people. The careers start to surround him but he speaks. "Wait! Before you kill me, why don't you let me into your alliance?"
The girl from two laughs, "You? Why? You can't do anything. It's your district partner who got the eleven. Not you. You got an eight. So shut up and let me kill you. Slowly." That girl gives me the creeps.
"Yeah, and I know how she got it. I also know her 'special secret skill." He put air quotes on special secret skill.
Suddenly, they're stopped by the boom of a canon. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! All the way until eleven. Wow. Usually it's only ten. They must be bloodthirsty this year.
The boy from two appraises him, "Did you kill our ally? From District Four?"
Peeta shrugs, "I had to, or else you wouldn't let me in your little group. So, am I in?"
The pretty district one girl speaks, "Sure, but you only get a knife."
"Glimmer! Who made you the boss?" Snaps the girl from District four. The boy from district two speaks next,
"Everyone, shut up! I make decisions here, got it?" Everyone nods, "Alright Loverboy. We'll let you stay, but Glimmer's right you only get a knife. No swords or anything."
Peeta nods. "My name's Peeta."
The district one boy rolls his eyes, "Don't care. I'm Cato, this is Clove, " He gestures to his district partner.
"Cato, " Snaps Clove, "I can speak for myself."
"I never said you couldn't, " says Cato, matching her tone.
"I'm Glimmer, and this is Marvel, you know, he's marveling at something. Get it?" The girl from district one giggles.
"Why do I get the crazy allies?" Muttered the girl from District Four, then she looks at Peeta, "I'm Layla. Always stay at least four feet away from me, never touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't insult me. Don't talk about me. And, don't steal my weapons." She glares at him to prove her point.
"I like this girl, " Comments Gale.
"Shh, they're going to show Katniss soon." Says Rory.
But first they show the District ten boy and the giant from eleven.
"I'm Derrick, " says the boy from District ten.
"Thresh." Grunts the giant.
"Do you think we should make camp here?" Asks Derrick.
"Sure." Thresh grabs the handful of stuff he got and spreads it out. It switches to the red-haired girl, who's name is Lies. But I can't be sure.
She's hiding behing a tree and is climbing it. She's smaller than Katniss but bigger than Rue.
She waits for the right moment when Derrick falls asleep. She slides down and crawls into a bush. I see that she's holding an egg of some sort. She throws it on the other side of Thresh, and he, hearing noise, goes after it. While he's gone and Derrick's sleeping, she sneaks out and grabs some food.
Just a little. Not enough to let anyone know that she was there. Then she goes back to her tree. She's really smart. But not as smart as Katniss.
Then they show the deaths. The girl from three was stabbed by Cato. The boy from four was choked by Peeta. He's strong. The boy from five was caught in the back by one of Clove's knives. The ones from six were also stabbed by Cato. The ones from seven were speared by Marvel. The boy from eight was stabbed by Glimmer. The boy from nine was killed by Thresh, they wrestled or something. The girl from nine was caught by another one of Clove's knives. The girl from ten was also stabbed by Clove.
And that's it. They show the careers, that's six tributes, then they show the boy from three hiding at the edge of their campsite. Seven. Lies, Derrick, and Thresh are shown as well. Ten. Three left. They show the girl from eight still trekking in the woods. They show Katniss in a sleeping bag in a tree. We all sigh in relief at that. Twelve. One more. Rue. They show her perched in a tree opposite of Katniss. She's trying to make a comfortable bed. It doesn't look very warm though.
I wonder if she'll kill Katniss.